


The Autumn Resort

by guiltyaschanged



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Autumn, Dad Donald, Donald and Gladstone - Freeform, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy, Holidays, Overprotective Donald, Overprotective Donald Duck, Parent Donald Duck, Pre-Canon, Pumpkins, Seasonal, Sweet, Triplets, Vacation, duck family - Freeform, fall - Freeform, harvest, single parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26806768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guiltyaschanged/pseuds/guiltyaschanged
Summary: Donald, Gladstone, and the triplets go to a resort for their Fall Break.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 41





	The Autumn Resort

**Author's Note:**

> Whew! This took me a long time to write. I hope you enjoy it! It's inspired by the fall season and all the times my family has taken trips like this. :)
> 
> And yes, I totally re-watched "The House of the Lucky Gander!" for research purposes.

As Donald hung up the phone, he realized he was beaming. Gladstone had just called him, inviting him and the boys to come stay at a resort for the weekend with him. Donald was ecstatic; this would be a perfect way to spend their Fall Break.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie’s reactions were more or less expected. As much as it pained Donald to always be low on money, the triplets were always adamant that they didn’t care. So, of course they were excited. . . and skeptical.

“I’ve booked a resort for your Fall Break! We’ll be there for a couple days,” Donald had joyfully broken the news to them at the dinner table.

“So  _ that’s  _ the reason you were so happy when you got home!” Louie realized.

“Really?” Huey and Dewey asked simultaneously.

“Of course!” Donald nodded. “I’m really proud of you boys. You all had such good report cards!”

“But I got C’s and one D,” Dewey interjected sadly. 

“The D is for Dewey,” Louie assured his older brother, who perked up.

Donald ignored them. “But aren’t you excited? We aren’t able to do these kinds of things very often.”

“You bet we are, Uncle Donald!” Huey exclaimed. “It’ll be a blast! And, this is the optimal time to go if we want to get a good look at the changing leaves. You know the JWG says-”

“Wait, wait, wait. Are you sure we have enough money for a trip like this? You might have to work even more afterwards, Uncle Donald. I keep track of all of our expenses, so,” Louie pointed out.

“You do?” Huey glanced at the green hooded-duckling in surprise.

Louie pretended to point finger-guns at Huey. “Yep. Money motivates me.”

Donald shook his head, trying to reel them back in. “Boys, boys. It’ll be fine, trust me. Uncle Gladstone is the one who invited us. Plus, you’ll all love it. There’ll be nature hikes, big rooms, a huge buffet, a pool-”

“Did you say pool?” Dewey interrupted. “He said there’s a pool! Oh, we are  _ going _ !”

“And Uncle Gladstone’s gonna be there? Wooohoooo!” Louie rejoiced.

“This is gonna be epic!” The triplets all yelled at once, to Donald’s delight.

As they pulled up the mountain, Donald spotted the amber sun beginning to sink beneath the clouds. Check-in time was pretty late. 

“Take one down, pass it around, no more bottles of milk on the wall!” the triplets chorused.

“Whew, that was a long time,” Louie said, out of breath.

“I’ve got a new longest streak!” Dewey proclaimed proudly.

“Tell me about it. We just did that for two full hours!” Huey added. 

Donald chuckled at their antics, then announced, “We’re here!”

The triplets cheered, craning to get a better look as the car came over the hill. The check-in, as well as the entire resort, was modeled to look like grand log cabins. It all seemed very homey. 

Donald realized the main lodge was very busy at the moment, and quickly contemplated on if bringing the boys in would be a good idea.

“Okay, you three,” he sighed, turning to look back at them from the front seat. “I’m going to go check us in and get our room key, but you’re going to stay here. I’ll be really quick, and leave the air on.”

“We’ll be fine, Uncle Donald,” Louie mumbled, pulling up his hood. 

“Yeah, we won’t set anything on fire,” Dewey reassured his Uncle, which actually only worried Donald more. How quickly could three eight year olds set a car on fire?

“Alright then, Huey you’re in charge,” Donald said, leaving before a wave of fighting ensued. Of course, protests did occur, but he wasn’t around to hear it.

“Whaaaat whyyy,” Dewey cried. 

“I’m just the most responsible is all,” Huey told his brothers. There was no gloating behind his words.

“Most weird, more likely,” Louie shot back, although he didn’t mean ill by it. 

“Eh, if weird is organized then I don’t wanna be normal,” Huey shrugged.

“Dewey! Stop running down the hallway!” Donald scolded. 

Dewey proceeded to swiftly walk down the hallway instead. “I’m just tryna to be the first to find our room. What number was it again?”

“Room 304,” Donald replied, reading the room key.

“Oh. I think I ran past that one already.” 

Once Donald swiped the room key into its slot the boys eagerly poured in. Donald had to admit, the suite looked pretty nice. It was adorned with fluffy carpet and two king-sized log beds. The soft glow of lanterns warmed the room with a golden light. The moon was perfectly framed between two long red curtains and a square window. 

Huey and Dewey immediately ran to the beds. Dewey wrapped himself in the blankets while Huey did snow angels. “This is so cozy!” he marveled.

Louie on the other hand, had found both the wi-fi password and the room service pamphlet in a matter of seconds. “Woah! Uncle Donald! We can make them deliver us food! Now that's what I call easy livin’. Do you have any idea how lazy this place will let me become?”

They didn’t have anywhere to go since Donald wanted to save all the fun for the next few days, so the triplets entertained themselves by playing hide-and-seek inside the room. They were actually able to find new spots every single round.

And to Louie’s great pleasure, Donald let him order their dinner via room service. (Although that particular transaction came out of Donald’s savings.)

When a simple dinner of noodles were delivered to their door, Louie sincerely told the worker that, “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

After about a half hour of rough housing, Donald told the boys they needed to wind down and brush their teeth.

Silence finally fell over the dimly-lit room, (Huey had insisted they keep one of the lights on, for safety and bathroom navigation), and Donald was happy to finally relax. They were going to have such a fun time!

Just before he drifted off to sleep, Donald was jolted back to consciousness at the sharp whisper of, “Hey, you’re kicking me!”

Huey, Dewey, and Louie had woken Donald up at the crack of dawn, insisting on breakfast at the buffet.

“Alright! I’m up!” he quacked. “Just let me take a shower first.”

And so the boys agonizingly waited for their Uncle to finish. When he’d emerged, his nephews had already dressed themselves. 

“Let’s go, Uncle Donald!” Dewey exclaimed.

“Hooray!” Huey and Louie cheered as they made their way into the hallway.

“Shh, boys, people are still sleeping,” Donald corrected.

“Hooray,” the triplets whispered together. 

The buffet was massive; everything you’d expect from a resort. There were pancakes and waffles and eggs and sausages. . . The list just went on and on. 

Huey, Dewey and Louie were entranced, piling up their plates with mountains of breakfast food, although Dewey had by far the most.

When they went to go find a table, Donald spotted Gladstone. His cousin was sitting comfortably in a booth, wrapped in a bathrobe. Gladstone’s plate featured a stack of pancakes that was almost as tall as him, with precisely the perfect amount of syrup. 

“Uncle Gladstone!” Louie called out excitedly. “You’re here!”

Gladstone grinned. “Kids! D-money! What’s up? Enjoying your stay so far?”

“It’s been great! And there’s so much to look forward to!” Huey told him.

“And so much food,” Dewey said through mouthfuls of waffle. 

“This place is fantastic! Do you always live the high life like this, Uncle Gladstone?” Louie’s eyes shone.

“Sure do, bud. Now please, eat up!” 

After an exquisite breakfast that Donald and the boys weren’t at all used too, they found a nature hike.

“Ah, the weather’s perfect today!” Gladstone commented, stretching luxuriously. 

Huey, Dewey and Louie began running down the sodden, leaf-strewn path. The beautiful leaves were painted in red, orange and yellow, and twittered in the slight breeze.

“Make sure I can still see you!” Donald yelled after them.

“So, how do you like living in luxury, Donaldo?” Gladstone inquired cheekily. 

Donald decided to swallow his pride, since he was grateful to Gladstone for allowing the triplets such a fun experience. “It’s been nice so far. The boys really liked the breakfast.”

“See? I knew you just needed some time to relax!” Gladstone grinned as they caught up to the triplets.

Louie was walking contentedly while Dewey bounced from tree to tree. Huey had his JWG out, analyzing everything around them. 

Later that night, Donald, Gladstone and the boys found themselves at a hay ride. It had grown quite chilly since that morning, so they were all suited in sweatshirts. Of course, with Gladstone being Gladstone, they all got to have a free round, as well as a plethora of hand warmers.

The triplets all cuddled together, as the wagon bumped along the path. At a midpoint, Donald bought them all hot apple cider.

“Mmmmm, that hits the spot!” Louie sighed.

“Better then Pep?” Huey asked.

“Nah. Nothing tops Pep.”

“What about money?” Dewey questioned. 

“Well I guess that’s the only thing.”

“Hey, twenty dollars!” Gladstone exclaimed, grabbing a smooth dollar bill that had floated down, seemingly out of nowhere.

The rest of the ride continued in happy silence, warmed by the hot cups in their hands despite the crisp winds against their feathers.

The next day Donald took the boys to a pumpkin patch. Huey, Dewey and Louie were all eager to pick one.

“How many of these do you think we could fit in the trunk, Uncle Donald?” called Dewey as he tried to lift a hefty pumpkin.

“There’s gotta be some sort of world record,” Louie commented.

“There are,” said Huey. “The world record for the heaviest pumpkin is weighed in at 2,624.6 pounds!”

Dewey pulled up his sleeves. “Get ready guys. I’m going to become a pumpkin farmer!”

“Each of you can pick one. We’ll bring them back to the houseboat,” Donald told the boys. 

They immediately scrambled to best each other by getting the “better” pumpkin then the former. An hour later, the triplets had finally chosen their own pumpkins. 

Huey had a shiny round pumpkin. Louie had the biggest, squarish pumpkin he could find. And Dewey’s pumpkin was dotted with countless warts. He’d claimed that he’d wanted his pumpkin to stand out. 

Donald took his nephews to the long awaited indoor pool next. Of course, they lived on a houseboat, in a bay, so it wasn’t like they were ever deprived of water. But the idea of chlorinated water in a box seemed to excite Huey, Dewey, and Louie beyond all possibility. 

The three triplets, all in matching color-coded swim trunks now, were lined up in front of the entrance, being lectured by their Uncle Donald. 

“Don’t go in the deep end, don’t talk to strangers, don’t-”

“D-squared! Relax!” Gladstone interjected. “Just let kids be kids. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

“With these three? A lot of things.”

“Um, wait. How are we going to ignore all of the strangers? The pool’s crammed in there,” Huey pointed out. 

“Psssh, we’ll be fine. Watch this,” said Gladstone, dramatically opening the door and waltzing in. At the very moment his presence entered the room, every single family that had been swimming got out, leaving the pool wide open.

“Coolest Uncle!” Louie exclaimed, while Donald simply stood there, aghast. 

Donald and Gladstone walked over to some of the folding chairs while the triplets got in the pool. 

“Daring, Dewnificent Dewey of Duckburg makes his approach,” Huey narrated through cupped hands. 

“He’s been practicing his form for months to bring this show to you tonight,” Louie continued.

Dewey grinned at his brothers, then went in for a cannonball. After a satisfying  _ sploosh _ , he came up for air. “Nailed it!” he cried.

Huey and Louie quickly joined him. “This is so cool! And the water isn’t as salty as back home,” Huey commented. 

“The only thing better than this would be swimming in Scrooge McDuck’s money bin!” said Louie, gracefully doing the backstroke.

Meanwhile, Donald and Gladstone had comfortably laid back in their chairs. Well, Gladstone was. Donald’s was lopsided by the slightest, most aggravating degree.

Donald felt calm for once, but unfortunately couldn’t stop the inkling of darkness that wormed into his thoughts. He felt anxiety for when the trip would be over, and how he’d have to return to working his two current jobs.

And on a much deeper level, he felt the absence of Fethry, his zany cousin. As well as Uncle Scrooge. And. . . and Della. But Donald felt her absence every day, in every part of his soul.

“Ooooh! There’s a hot tub over there. Wanna join me, Donaldo?” Gladstone piped up. 

“No, I'm good,” Donald replied. 

“Suit yourself. Gotta do this vacationing thing right.” Gladstone hopped up and went over to ease himself into the hot tub. He pulled out some cucumbers and put them over his eyes. Where he got those cucumbers from would forever remain a mystery. 

Donald averted his attention to his nephews, who were happily flipping about in the pool. If anything, this trip was teaching him to be happier living in the moment.

A little while later, Gladstone had told them he was leaving. Huey, Dewey and Louie gave their Uncle a huge hug. (The triplets gave the best hugs, Donald knew from experience.)

“G’bye Uncle Gladstone!” they all chimed.

“Bye kids! It’s been fun, but I’ve gotta jet. A new casino just opened in Macaw, and is in desperate need of my luck.”

“Ooooh, I bet you’ll win all of the money cuz’ you’re so lucky!” Louie praised.

“Bye, Gladstone. And thank you,” said Donald, side hugging his cousin.

“No problem, Don,” he smiled. Gladstone left out the pool door, accidentally dropping two twenty dollar bills in his wake, but not even bothering to pick them up. 

Tonight was the last night in the resort, so they’d leave in the morning after breakfast. Donald had sprawled out across his bed, reading a magazine. The boys had settled on putting a resort puzzle together on the floor.

“Don’t tell me  _ that  _ performance doesn’t deserve a world record. I mean come on, that’s the fastest we’ve ever finished a puzzle!” Dewey declared. 

“Not quite,” Huey stopped his brother from celebrating just yet. “We’re still missing a piece.”

They all began searching for the last puzzle piece. Under the beds, inside the box, in between cushions, everywhere.

“Gahh! Where could it be?” Huey asked frantically, beginning to pace the room.

“I dunno! It must’ve vanished,” Dewey shrugged, peering inside the mini fridge. “Maybe the piece was never there. Like the last people who made the puzzle lost it or something.”

“The. Piece. Was. Never. There,” Huey whispered, his eye twitching.

Dewey and Louie glanced nervously at each other. “Okay, okay,” Louie burst out. “It’s in my pocket. I just wanted the glorious dopamine rush of putting the last piece down.”

Huey watched as the youngest triplet quickly snapped the last piece into place, still dead silent. “Well,” he sighed, wrangling his temper. “At least it wasn’t actually lost.”

“Okay boys, time for bed,” Donald got up to tuck them in. He kissed each of them on the forehead. “Goodnight. I love you,” he whispered.

“Love you too, Uncle Donald,” they all whispered back. “Thank you for such a fun trip.”

“Ah! Why do we keep doing this?” they all suddenly broke out, speaking simultaneously and glaring at each other. 

“This usually never happens.”

“But we’ve been doing it all trip.”

“Okay stop talking! No, you stop! Quit it!”

“Antidisestablishmentarianism!” 


End file.
